Tongue-support



(No Model.) l E. R. WILLIAMSON.

. TONGUE SUPPORT. No. 504,143. 'PatentedAug 29, 1893..

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, in detail.

UNiTED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN R. WILLIAMSON, OF CHAIN OF ROCKS, MISSOURI.

ToNeUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,148, dated August 29, 1893.

Application filed December 28, 1892. Serial No. 456,532. (No model.) l l an improved supporting-device for sin gle-pole wagons, and one which is adjustable for supporting the pole at dierent angles.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1, is a side sectional elevation of` an ordinary road-Wagon,v

with parts removed to show the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my invention applied to parts shown Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of the spring forming a part of my invention. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same. Fig. 5 is a perspective vieW of a notched quadrant made use of in carrying out my invention.

Referring to the drawings:-1, indicates the forward running gear of an ordinary farmwagon, and 2, the rear gear of same.

3 indicates the forward axle upon which the front hounds4 are secured in the usual manner. The forward ends of the hounds 4 are connected by thelbolt 5, the tongue-hound 6 secured to the pole 7 being mounted upon said bolt 5 between the hounds 4, and connected at their rear ends by a cross-piece 8. The hounds 6 are bolted to the sides of the 'tongues 7, and owing to their pivotal mounting upon the bolt 5, are vertically adjustable, the tongue necessarily being adjusted with the hounds 6. A quadrant 9 provided with segmental transverse slots l10 is secured upon the under side of the tongue 7, intermediate of the bolt 5 and the point at which the hounds 6 are secured to said tongue 7. The quadrant 9 is provided with projecting perforated plates 11 by means of which the same are secured to the under side of the tongue 8 by means of bolts or other mechanical contrivances.

The principal part of my invention lies in the construction and application of a spring 12 for holding the Wagon-tongue 7 in a determinate position. The spring 12 consists of a length of spring-steel, circular in cross section and of such a diameter as is necessary in the construction for different sizes of Wagons.

The entire length is bent substantially dou' ble, leaving a portion 13 intermediate of the ends of same, said portion 13 forming a basis for the remaining parts of the construction. The two ends 14 and 15are then bent toward each other and at a point substantially about one third of the length of the complete spring, are each bent into spiral shaped coils 1 6. The arms 14 and 15 merge into said coils 16 at their greatest width, the coils gradually tapering outwardly and the remaining ends 17 and 18 of the length of steel forming projecting diverging arms as shown particularly in Fig. 3 in which it will be seen that the view is a top plan one. Looking at the side of the spring 12 as in Fig. 4, We see that the arms 14 and 15 project upwardly at an oblique angle and that the arms 17 and 18 from the coils 16 describe graceful downward curves, terminating in the ends 19 which are in the same horizontal plane with the arm 13. The spirals 16 provide the pivotal point of the spring 12 and provide bearings through which the bolt 5 passes, one of said coils 16 being located upon each side .of thetongue 7 and upon said bolt 5, with the arms 14 and 15 normally in position against the sides of said tongue 7 and the cross arm 13 in engagement within one of the slots 10. The free ends 17 and 18 project over the axle 3 and are held under the sand bolster 20, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1. The spring acts as a support for the tongues7 and the height of said tongue may be changed by the adjustment of the arms 13 from one notch 10 to another, in either direction as is desired.

It will be seen from the above description and the accompanying drawings that the device is simple and certain in its operation, its construction being such as to guarantee this operation, the construction at the same time being cheap in point of cost and durable for the object for which it is designed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is The improved tongue-support, constructed with a spring 12 having spring-coils 16 which taper outwardly,` arms 14 andl-whieh merge into said coils, ends 17 and. 18- for engaging the axle, said arms 14 and l5 being bent to ward each other, and merging into said coils at the greatest diameter thereof, a bolt which engages these' coils: and secures the `springin position, a quadrant 9 provided with segmental transverse-slots 10 and a projecting perforated-lug 11 and arranged to be secured to the under side of the tongue, said quadrant curved corresponding to the radius of the outer end of fthe said spring,` ahorizont'al-farm 13 i detaehablyr lengagin g said l quadrant, and .sadarms T171 and 18 `curveddownward from said coils and terminating in ends which are lin thel 4saune horizontal-plane as that in which said arm 13 is located, substantially as here- Ainfspecied. V

In testimony whereof I a'x my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN R. WILLIAMSON. Witnesses:

HERBERT S. ROBINSON, L. L.- TRACEY. 

